Meet the "Leierkastenmann", Hans Hahnemann - he cheers us up, playing his old-fashioned barrel organ, at our Christmas Markets, various fairs and functions throughout the year.

Hans delighted the audience at TTHA on 17 September over some Kaffee und Kuchen (see photos, courtesy Ute Haberberger).

And here is his story...

Hans left his native Poppenbüttel (suburb of Hamburg) in 1959. He was a young man who had grown up during WWII (he lost his father in 1941) and the post-war years. Germany was scrambling to rebuilt itself. So much of Hamburg had been destroyed during the bombing raids and the population was only slowly recovering from the aftermath of living in a war, and under a dictatorship, and now a fledgling democracy.Hans was facing military service ... one evening, walking home with a friend, his friend said: "We'll leave, we'll emigrate!"

Being young, this seemed like a tremendous adventure and an opportunity to escape not only military service but also a chance to take on new possibilities.Hans had been wanting to leave home, to become independent, for a while - but it was impossible to find a flat in Hamburg. The only accommodation he had been offered was a dark, damp basement.

Australia beckoned. It did not take long to gather the necessary papers - but a little bit of cheating was necessary: At the time Australia sought unskilled labour! A lot of young men with a proper apprenticeship under their belt, simply called themselves 'farm labourers' in order to be accepted and gain a passage onboard a ship.

Just six weeks later, Hans was sailing. He shared a cabin with lot of other young men whose surnames started with 'H' - Hahnemann, Hansen, Hauser, Hinrichsen ...Not long into the journey, they were called to the ship's purser and told to show their shoes. Why???Australia did not want anyone importing foot-and-mouth disease and the boat was full of young men, claiming to be farm labourers!

Once in Melbourne, Hans worked in his own trade: as an auto mechanic.

Oh - the friend who had inspired the move, pulled out at the last moment - Hans went on his own!

Good morning my name is Isabella and I am the lifestyle coordinator for the Multicultural Age Care Services in Geelong and our residents would love to hear you play on your Barrel organ could we make this possible for them